Horse-detacher.



PATENTED SEPT. 27, 1904.

-' A. s. GHIVERS.

HORSE DETAGHER.

APPLIUATION FILED JUNE 18, 1904.

N0 MODEL.

Patented September 27, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

ALGERNON SIDNEY OHIVERS, OF BEEVILLE, TEXAS.

'HORSE-DETACHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 771,045, dated September 27, 1904. Application filed June 18, 1904. erial No. 213,186. (No modelJ To a whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALGERNON SIDNEY CHIvERs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Beeville, in the county of Bee and State of Texas, have invented new and useful Improvements in Horse Detachers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has relation to improvements in horse-detaching devices; and the object is to simplify and improve the existing art by providing a certainly-acting, cheaply-constructed, and strong device for the purpose whereby the back-strap, the belly-band, and the holdback-straps may be simultaneously released from the shafts and at the same time the traces be unhooked from the swingletree.

The invention embodies hinged clips detachably secured to the shafts, spring-actuated bolts to lock the clips to the shafts, means to withdraw the bolts from the clips, pivotallymounted hooks on the ends of the swingletree, and means to hold and detach the hooks from engagementwith the traces.

The invention also consists in the novel construction of parts and their assemblage or aggroupment in operative combination, all as will be fully hereinafter specified, and the alleged novelty then particularly pointed out in the claims.

I have fully and clearlyillustrated the invention in the annexed drawings tobe taken as a part of this specification, and wherein- Figure 1 is a side view of one of the thills to which the complete devices are attached. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the thills, showing the apparatus or devices as operatively connected thereto. Fig. 3 is a plan View of a portion of the thill on an enlarged scale, whereto are attached a detachable clip and the spring-actuated bolt and pintle, also indicating the laterally-projecting ears which hold the clips from slipping or turning on the shaft. Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical section through one ofthe clips and the shaft. Fig. 5-is a detail plan view of one end of the swingletree, showing the trace-fastener and a trace engaging it and indicating the means for disengaging the fastener from the trace. Fig. 6 is an end view of the swingletree and front view of the tracefastener and also indicating the means for detaching the trace-fastener. Fig. 7 is a side front view of an end portion of the swingletree, showing the trace-fastener as it appears from that direction.

In the drawings like parts appearing in different illustrations are designated by similar reference-notations. 7

Reference being had to the drawings, A designates a pair of shafts or thills of any approved make and to each of which are attached the members making up my improvements. The elements secured to each shaft are duplicates of each other and given the same refer,- ence designation. On each shaft are mounted two detachable clips 1 2, which consist of suitable metal plates shaped to the contour of the shafts and permanently hinged together at their under sides and detachably connected by a hinge-joint at the upper side, as shown in the drawings. To the clips 1 are rigidly fixed upper and lower strap-links 3 4, which connect with the back-strap and the belly-strap of the harness, respectively. In the outer leaf or section of the clips are formed slots 5, which take over laterally-projecting pieces 6, fixed in the sides of the shafts to hold the clips from endwise movement on the shafts. On the upper face of the shafts are secured bracket-pieces 7 8, having their ends turned up vertically and provided with apertures through which springactuated bolts are slidably projected, which bolts extend through the interlocking sleeves of the clips, substantially as shown in the drawings. On the bolts 9 are mounted expansive spiral springs 10, serving to shoot the bolts into the sleeves of the detachable hinged joint of the clips. To the outer ends of the bolts 9 are connected cables, wires, or cords 11, which are led through guiding-eyes to some location convenient to the occupant of the vehicle. It will readily be seen that by pulling on the wires the bolts are withdrawn from the sleeves of the detachable hinged joint of the clips, and this being accomplished the sections automatically separate and the shafts are free to drop from the clips, and the harness or the parts thereof connected to the shafts by the clips are free from the shafts, and the animal, so far as these members are concerned, is freed from the shafts. To limit the rearward movement of the bolts, there are fixed in the shaft stop-pieces 12, which are positioned in the path of the bolts, as indicated in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

To apply the described parts in practice, the back-strap is connected to the links 3 of the clips 1 and secured in the usual manner. The belly-band is secured in the link 4, and the clip is ready for manipulation if an exigency takes place to warrant its release from the shaft. The holdback-straps are secured to the link 4 of the clip 2 in the usual manner, except instead of surrounding the shaft it is brought through the link from the inside and then buckled, so that when the clips are disconnected they will drop from the shafts and remain suspended from the loops of the holdbacks. Of course the heretofore-described means for liberating the harness from the detaching devices would prove futile to accomplish the complete'detachment of the animal, and to accomplish this the traces must be released, and to attain this I equip the ends of the swingletree with the following described releasing mechanism: To each end of the swingletree 13 is fitted and secured a sleeve 14:, formed with a longitudinal mortise 15 in its outer end portion, the mortise being in horizontal direction through the end piece. This mortise or opening constitutes the passage through which the end of the trace 16 passes when being fastened in position. In the end piece at the outer end of the mortise is pivotally secured a trace-holder 17, which also serves as the means for releasing the trace.

'This trace-holder consists of a curved piece of metal, on the rear end of which is a lug 18, which fits in a socket formed in a bracket 19, formed on the sleeve of the end piece and having an extension 20, against which the end of the trace abuts when connected to the traceholder, as seen in Fig. 5 of the drawings. To the other end of the curved trace-holder are connected pullcords or wires 21 22, which pass under and over the end piece and are united at 23 and connected to a single wire 24, and thence lead to some convenient point for manipulation by the occupant of the vehicle, the wires 21 22 slidably passed through staples or eyes 25, fixed in the endpiece, as seen best in Fig. 6 of the drawings. It will now be observed that when the exigency comes for using the trace-holder to detach the traces from their fastening all that is necessary to release them is to pull on the wires 24:, which will effect the rocking on its bearing of the trace-holder and move the holding end outward far enough to leave the trace end to slip out of engagement.

The clips being mounted on the shafts, as shown, and the connections being made to the belly-band and the back-strap and to the holdback-straps and the traces having been connected to the trace-holder, as heretofore mentioned, all that is necessary to accomplish the releasement or detachment of the animal from the vehicle is to pull back on the wires leading to the respective members and the bars 9 will be withdrawn from their engagement with the clips, and the trace-holder at the same time will be turned so the traces will be unhooked and the animal goes free from the vehicle.

The apparatus it will be seen'may be easily operated and all the parts brought into action in unison or simultaneously, it is convenient in hitching up, its strength and durability are apparent, and it obviates the wrapping of the holdbacks about the shafts.

Having described the invention what is claimed is 1. A horse detacher comprising hinged clips adapted to detachably embrace the shafts and separably united at their free ends by a hinge-joint, spring-actuated bolts to engage the sleeves of the hinge-joints, pull-rods to withdraw the bolts and release the clips, and means on the swingletree to release the traces.

2. The combination of the shafts having laterally-projectinglugs, hinged clips adapted to embrace the shafts and detachably united at their separable ends by hinge-joints and formed with a slot in one of the hinged members to engage over the lugs in the shafts,-

spring-actuated bolts-to detachably engage the sleeves of the separable hinge-joints, pullrods to withdraw the bolts and release the clips, means on the ends of the swingletree points, hinged clips adapted to detachablyembrace the shafts and detachably united at their separable ends by a hinge joint and formed with a slot in one of the hinged members to engage over the projections on the shafts, spring-actuated bolts to detachably engage the sleeves of the hinge-joints of the 4. In ahorse-detacher the combination with means to simultaneously release the backstrap, the belly-strap, and the holdbacks from to the front end of the trace-holders to release the shafts, of a swingletree, end pieces on the the holders from the traces. I0 swingletree formed with trace-openings and In testimony whereof I aifiX my signature in a bracket at the rear side of the end pieces presence of two witnesses.

5 having a socket, a curved trace-holder pivot- A. SIDNEY CHIVERS.

ally mounted in the trace-openings and formed Witnesses: with a lug on its rear end to engage in the JOE THOMASSON,

socket of the bracket, and pull-rods secured WV. A. OAPEN. 

